Now that the technology is well along, I'm seriously pursuing the idea of using a drone to check domes. The big problems are weight and durability but right now I'm focusing on creating an ultra-lightweight light. If anyone knows of an existing manufactured light that throws out 100 or so lumens (at least) and is very lightweight or could be dismantled for parts, do tell. Otherwise, I'm thinking of creating my own. A bare LED clipped to an AAA seems light enough. Anyone know a good place to get parts or have experience with such things?

Since this forum is lightly used anymore, do feel free to pass along my query to any other virtual place where cavers gather, and point them my way.

Everyone has migrated to Facebook Jonah! I tried pretty hard to not go there but eventually made my way. It's actually pretty cool too so long as you have no friends lol. I don't have any and it makes FB so much more enjoyable. Nothing on my feed but caves, guitars, and hiking stuff. LOL...no one's breakfast or political/religious views to laugh about!

I hear ya brother! It does amaze me how people can just put stuff out there like they do. Some people just need that self affirmation and a good pat on the back lol. I do all kinds of neato stuff every day but don't feel the need to tell others lol. I also don't like how almost every time I go caving there's someone with a camera or go-pro. Just so they can get a pic or video to put up on FB and see how many likes it will get. LOL....I'll often ask, "Are you going to put this up on Bragbook?" When they say yes I quickly flip them the bird and say, "Put that on there!"

Good for you Jonah. Facebook is so over rated. Jonah, perhaps you should request access to Tag-Net. I'm sure some of your less than standard eco posts would rile some of the eco nuts on Tag-net and you would havea huge audience every time you post, as well as lots of rhetoric to discuss . I'll be glad to stump for you if you decide you would like to join. Just let me know and I'll send the moderator a vouch for email. However, Tag-Net is mostly for peoplewho live in or cave in TAG. You have caved here but most of your trips are not in TAG. Bottom line is that it is up to the moderator/owner of Tag-Net to let you join or not. Just sayin".

Curt, it was someone else I reckon. May have been something like ohiocvr... Now I know what you don't look like.

TN, I have been a subscriber to tag-net for a couple of years. Have posted a few practical queries, and have received some good help. When I go caving in TN again (which I've a powerful hankering to do), I will post trip reports, but it isn't my goal simply to stir things up for an audience, here or there.

Drone lights!After much research... I'm lost. High quality drones can lift enough weight to make this niggling over grams moot. I can't afford them. Those within my potential price range are hard to find good specifications for, but seem to have very little payload capacity. It may be that I have to give up the whole idea until a time of plenty. I would like to see other cavers try this too. Maybe they can perfect it first and save me some expensive trial and error. Or it may be that this is a bad or at least esoteric idea, after all the successful discovery of high passages would still require a climb, and some like to climb dud domes anyway.